These Cranberry BBQ Meatballs are so savory and so scrumptious! Keep it simple this holiday season with this semi-homemade recipe for glazed meatballs with a cranberry barbecue sauce that uses just five ingredients. You and your guests will love them!
Who among us doesn’t love a glazed meatball? Come on, don’t kid yourself. Party meatballs are always a hit! There’s something so cozy and delicious about juicy meatballs coated in a thick, sweet sauce. And these Cranberry BBQ Meatballs are sure to be a hit!
I’m convinced this cranberry barbecue sauce recipe takes a crock pot full of glazed meatballs to the next level. It’s the same sauce I use for my Leftover BBQ Turkey Sliders – coming soon! Save this simple recipe if you think you’ll be stuck with leftover cranberry sauce. If you love a sweeter sauce, make an extra batch so you can experiment with plenty of other new recipes!
What’s Included In This Post
Cranberry BBQ Meatball Ingredients
Other Cranberry BBQ Meatballs feature a from-scratch sauce with fresh cranberries, cranberry juice, or orange zest. Nothing wrong with that, but this version relies on the convenience of semi-homemade cooking so you can focus on spending more time with friends and family – or just relaxing!
These are the simple ingredients you’ll need:
- Cooked meatballs
- BBQ sauce. I use a store-bought Kansas City-style sauce but use a homemade barbecue sauce if you prefer. As long as it’s thick, sweet, with a bit of smokiness, it will make the perfect blend!
- Cranberry sauce or cranberry jelly. This is the perfect way to use homemade cranberry sauce or Thanksgiving leftovers!
- Tomato paste
- Apple cider vinegar
- Brown sugar or maple syrup
(full ingredient list and quantities listed in the recipe card below)
Swaps and Substitutions
This recipe is straightforward and forgiving, so don’t be afraid to experiment. The flavor of your cranberry barbecue sauce depends the type of BBQ sauce and cranberry sauce you start with, so adjust according to your taste preferences.
If you have a homemade meatball recipe you love, use that. Otherwise, look for frozen meatballs in the freezer section of your grocery store. This Cranberry BBQ Meatball recipe works well with beef, pork, or turkey meatballs. I don’t recommend Italian meatballs, since the other seasonings and flavors might compete with the cranberry flavor. And if you need a vegan version, look for plant-based meat alternatives which are now available in a meatball format.
This simple cranberry BBQ sauce doesn’t have a long list of ingredients, which means you can add a few more if you want to customize the flavor. If you like a spicy sauce, try adding some cayenne pepper or hot sauce for a unique twist. I think the flavor is just right when it’s a little zesty and tingly on your lips, but not so much spice that it completely overrides the tangy and tart cranberry sauce!
How to Make Cranberry Barbecue Sauce
The great thing about this tasty sauce is that it doesn’t need much time at all. It comes together in minutes on the stovetop. No food processor or immersion blender needed!
Just add all the ingredients to a small saucepan. Heat on low or medium heat until simmering, using a whisk to stir frequently to avoid scorching. After just 60-90 seconds, it should be heated through.
Note that if you’re using a cranberry sauce with whole cranberries, it will never be completely smooth. But that’s OK! You’ll hardly notice the chunky texture once it’s mixed with the cooked meatballs.
Street Smart Nutrition Tip: Make a double batch of the cranberry barbecue sauce to spread on pork chops or pork tenderloin, chicken breasts, smoked turkey or leftover turkey sandwiches. Just keep the same ratio of 2:1 BBQ sauce to cranberry sauce as you scale up.
How to Make Cranberry BBQ Meatballs
Cook your frozen store-bought meatballs according to package instructions. Most of the time, they’re baked in the oven on a baking sheet until browned. But if you’re in a hurry, it can be faster or easier to use the air fryer. Just make sure you cook in small batches so the meatballs cook in a single layer.
If starting from scratch with your own homemade meatballs, add this to the total time. But here’s a pro tip: next time you make a bit batch of meatballs, freeze the extras and pull them out for occasions like this. You can reheat them in the oven or air fryer, too!
Once the meatballs are cooked and your sauce is hot, toss them together in a large mixing bowl. The sauce should fully coat each meatball until they’re glazed and saucy.
Serving Suggestions and Storage Tips
I like to serve these glazed meatballs in a big dish with toothpicks or cocktail skewers in a mason jar. It makes them much less messy to eat! If you have leftover cranberry barbecue sauce, add it to a small bowl or ramekin and your guests can use it as a dipping sauce.
Add some fresh cranberries or seasonal herbs like rosemary for a pretty garnish. It’s totally optional, but if you want to add some festive flair, this is an easy way to do it! Sliced green onions also make a simple garnish and add some bright color.
If you’re not serving these Cranberry BBQ Meatballs right away, transfer them to a slow cooker or Crockpot. Hold on the “Keep Warm” setting for as long as needed, but stir occasionally as the cranberry barbecue sauce will thicken the longer it sits. Avoid letting them sit at room temperature for too long, as this is a food safety issue.
If you have leftovers, place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave in 15-30 second bursts until heated through. Although, when I made these last year they disappeared so fast! I was hoping for at least a few leftover meatballs to enjoy the next day, but I guess they were just too tasty for that!
Cranberry BBQ Meatballs
Equipment
- Cocktail skewers, or large toothpicks
Ingredients
- 2 lbs cooked meatballs, or about 40-50 meatballs
- 1 cup barbecue sauce, Kansas City-style or ketchup and molasses based
- 1/2 cup cranberry sauce, or cranberry jelly
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp brown sugar or maple syrup
Instructions
- Cook the meatballs according to package instructions (about 12-15 minutes for oven or air fryer cooking methods).
- Meanwhile, add the remaining ingredients to a small saucepan. Whisk together over low or medium heat until it reaches a low simmer. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Toss the cooked meatballs together with the cranberry barbecue sauce until fully coated and glazed. Transfer to a large serving bowl or keep warm in a crock pot or slow cooker. Serve with cocktail skewers or large toothpicks.
Notes
Nutrition
I hope you enjoy these glazed meatballs as much as we do! It’s the time of year for endless holiday parties, potlucks, and game day watch parties or tailgating. The warm flavors of these Cranberry BBQ Meatballs will be such a hit, don’t be surprised if everyone wants to see the recipe for this easy appetizer!
If you have extra pre-cooked meatballs, try one of these recipes to turn them into a main dish:
As always, thanks for stopping by the Street Smart Nutrition blog. Cheers to more fearlessly nourishing meals!
Questions & Reviews
Wow! These turned out so amazing!! They were easy to make and turned out so delicious. I can’t wait to make them again!!